Nearly a quarter of new beers released in 2014 had an ABV above 6.5%—that's roughly three times more than the amount that was released in 2011, according to new data from the market research firm Mintel. And since we all remember from Nutrition 101 that a gram of alcohol packs 7 calories while a gram of carbs packs only 4 calories, the new crop of stronger sips might have you loosening your belt a notch or two.

Oh, and FYI, the burgeoning booziness isn't just a thing with dark beers. While traditionally heartier brews like imperial stouts and porters have long been known for their high alcohol content (usually around 10% ABV), a beer's color has no effect on its calorie count. In other words, paler beers can pack an equally hefty punch.

"Dark beers come from dark malts that have been roasted longer," says Matt Simpson, owner of The Beer Sommelier, a beer consultancy. But that roast time has nothing to do with how much alcohol a beer will have. Instead, that's determined by the amount of sugar a brewer adds before the fermentation process. "Certain yeast strains are more tolerant of alcohol, and you need to feed them more sugar so they can produce more alcohol," he says.

The extra sugar is the reason why many high-ABV beers, like Belgian ales or barleywines, tend to skew sweet. But that isn't always the case. In the case of bitter American IPAs, brewers add a lot of sugar to help balance out hoppiness, resulting in an ABV that can hover around 12%.

This is why, if you want to avoid drinking the beer equivalent of dessert, you've gotta pay attention to the ABV. Aim for one that's lower than 6%, suggests Julia Herz, craft beer program director at the Brewers Association. Or look for session beers, which usually boast 5% ABV or less.

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